[untitled] The Mississippi Valley Historical Review, (1920-06-01), pages 72-73

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72 Booh Reviews m.v.h.e.

American contributions to British and French journals. Monsieur Vial-
late 's style is clear, forcible, and interesting, though he does like to drag
in an esoteric phrase now and then.

He does well to remind us of several points that we are apt to forget,
such as that Mr. Roosevelt at first strongly approved the president's
proclamation of neutrality and only began denouncing Mr. Wilson some
months later for not protesting against the invasion of Belgium. It is
well, also, to note how a thoughtful, well-informed Frenchman regards
our much-abused president. Discussing the accomplishments of Mr.
Wilson's first term, M. Viallate says: "Never has a president obtained
from Congress in so short a time the adoption of so many important
measures. Mr. Wilson succeeded in so doing thanks only to a real moral
authority over the leaders of his party in the House and Senate and a
great tenacity united with able diplomacy. . . From the earliest
months of his presidency he knew how to overcome the opposition in his
own party and rally to the support of the measures of reform he had
at heart the radical elements of the Republican party: he had become
the veritable leader of the moderate progressives, desirous of accomplish-
ing a serious and durable work" (pp. 247-249).

M. Viallate shows a clear grasp of the forces at work in the United
States from 1914 to 1917, and analyzes them with a judicial fairness.
His monograph should serve to help his compatriots realize and appre-
ciate what it actually meant, when, as a " direct result of the stupid and
criminal aggression of Germany," the United States "abandoned their
traditional policy of isolation" and joined the allies. He considers this
decision as even "more important, from the viewpoint of the immediate
political future," than the consolidation of the British empire.

American students of the world war will profit by a careful reading of
this friendly scholar's account of our entry into the struggle.

M. L. B.

The American Bed Cross in the great war. By Henry P. Davison, chair-
man of the war council of the American Red Cross. (New York:
Macmillan company, 1919. 303 p. $3.00)
A large number of the "women, children and men, who through the
American Red Cross worked and sacrificed that the miseries of war
might be alleviated" and to whom the book is dedicated will be inter-
ested in this account of the far-reaching work made possible by their
contributions of time and money. Drawing his material from the files
in the national headquarters, Mr. Davison, who was chairman of the
war council appointed by President Wilson to direct the war-time activ-
ities of the American Red Cross, has touched upon every phase of that

Vol. VII, No. 1 Blankerhorn : Adventures in Propaganda 73

organization's work — services to the soldier and sailor in this country
and overseas and to their families at home, and relief work in behalf of
the destitute civilian populations of France, Belgium, Italy, Rumania,
Russia, and the near east. The closing chapter is concerned with the
formation of the league of Red Cross societies in Paris on May 5, 1919,
which will work with the international committee of the Red Cross of
Geneva and will formulate ajid carry out a program of peace-time activ-
ities throughout the world.

The relief work abroad is particularly well described, but maps locat-
ing the numerous Red Cross stations would have been useful to the
reader. Apparently it was intended to include at least one, for on page
211 occurs a reference to a map "showing graphically by means of dots
the extent and variety of the work in Italy," which nowhere appears.
Mr. Davison pays high tribute to the Red Cross organizations of other
countries, notably Great Britain, and to the many relief agencies at work
before the United States entered the war. Many of these were given
funds by the American Red Cross with which to continue and enlarge
their work.

An appendix of six pages contains a statement of funds received and
expended during the twenty months ending February 28, 1919, and
miscellaneous statistics showing work done by the organization during
that period, but the "story in figures" is best told in a report. The work
of the American Red Cross during the war, a statement of finances and
accomplishments for the period July 1, 1917, to February 28, 1919
("Washington, 1919). The volume is well indexed.

The chief fault of Mr. Davison 's volume is its prolixity, the narrative
being unduly lengthened by anecdote, comment, and commendation of
Red Cross workers. On the whole, the book appears to be one of the
number written and published to reach the public before its interest in
war organizations waned. The author's royalties go to the Red Cross.

Adventures in propaganda. Letters from an intelligence officer in
France. By Heber Blankerhorn, captain, Military intelligence divi-
sion, U. S. A. (New York : Houghton Mifflin company, 1919. 166
p. $1.50)
Adventures in propaganda enables one to live — really live — in the at-
mosphere of France and the A. E. F. during the momentous days of the
American offensive and the termination of the war. It is a unique nar-
rative; the personal letters of the officer in charge of the propaganda
offensive against German military morale. It is not a systematic ac-
count of the closing days of the war, but instead a series of graphic,
stimulating pictures of current happenings that gives one a clearer con-